The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1887-11-10
am Is much surprised - pleased q

| am - much surprised - pleased q
your speedy return to your senses"
WELL" he said, coloring wildly
''don't laugh. please called on
Blanch last night. She never looked
lovelior. ! have seen more beautiful
women. but I swear / never saw q
more fascinating one. She received
me, as she always does, with open
arms, Is figure Of speech. you UNDER
stand. and made herself o. charming
- possible. She sang to me, she
played to me, she enchanted me and
fooled me, like . nineteenth century
Vivien, until l lost the little sense that
remained to me. And l had opened
my lips-actually opened my lips to
ask her to marry me, when tho front
parlor door opened. At this stage Of
the comedy we were sitting in the
moonlight in the back parlor. and
Glen cried, hastily and abruptly:
Il say, Blanch, cousin julie wants
your paints and stuff. She wants to
mako whited sepulcher OF herself for
Captain O'Neil's benefit like you do
for Mr.. Ashford's. She's got an en-
gagement with him, and the nights 50
warm and her face SO shiny she thought
little powder on her nose would i'm
prove matters. She told me to be in q
dickens Of hurry and
That's enough Glenn Miss
Blanch interrupted. laughingly - as
for me. Fred, I felt like DON Juan
must have felt when the statute OF the
Commander invited him to supper
well dispense with any more Of your
pleasantries for tonight. The boy is
. most inveterate practical joker, Mr..
Ashford. and nothing delights him
more than to tease me. Knowing you
were with me- he got up this little i'm
promptu for your benefit as well ~
mine.
But her laugh sounded. to my sus-
picious mind, forced and embarrassed.
And when she uttered my name, /
heard suppressed smoker and an as
tonishcd interjcction from Glenn as he
hurriedly fed from the scene that con-
WINGED me he had suspicion of my pres
ence. Twas convinced beyond . doubt
later, for having left my cane behind
mel had no design in leaving that
useful article Of bric-a- brac behind me,
but the exciting episode l have mar.
rat. d upset my nerves and made me
absent minded returned to get it. !
quietly entered the vestibule intending
to reclaim my property and depart
without announcing my presence to
Miss Blanch. and l heard her voice in
an angry alteration with her brother
that disguised me and disenchanted
me at once. What remarkable tai
emit some men have for mendacity.
Fred! l hastily left the house without
attempting to recover my cane. think
ing regretfully of Bessis's low, sweet
and clean implanted face. And here
am-ready to do any thing to win her
back again."
Clarence has the most un bounded
and most unreasonable prejudice with
regard to painting. for in his opinion
. woman who paints her face and puts
a little powder on her nose to improve
matters is capable Of all the sins for
hidden in the Decalogue. l knew that
Miss Bernard's reign was over. and l
felicitated myself on my discretion in
retaining Bessie's letter. l handed it
to him saying:
Il kept the letter awhile, thinking
You might change your mind. Per-
haps you'd better hold on to it, in case
your tickle fancy should wander again.
As have before remarked, it's mod
d letter of its kind"
He tore it into infinitesimal bits as
he replied:
"Ill have no further use for that
sort of literature. All the sirens Of the
world, from Cleopatra down to Blanch
Bernard, couldn't win one Of my
thoughts from Bessie"
And l believe he was right At all
events she has found him thus far the
mos. constant and devoted OF hus.
bands. And she has not the faintest
suspicion of his, and her own, hair
breadth escape from Miss Demands
golden and rosy fascinationS-S. G.
LGsselle, in Current.